1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to plumbing systems and, more specifically, to an improved energy efficient electric water that will provide immediate hot water to the location or locations to which the hot water is to be delivered.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is generally a standard practice to provide buildings and residential homes and units with hot water plumbing systems to supply bathrooms, kitchens, and the like with hot water. The hot water plumbing system generally has a water heater which will store 20 gallons or more of water. In order to heat the water in the water heater, various types of NiChrome or other metallic heating elements are installed in the water heater. To provide continuous hot water, the water heater typically operates twenty-four hours a day, unless some type of timer is used. This requires copious amounts of energy in order to accomplish this task. This is due to the fact that the wattage of a single heating element can be 2.5 kilowatts or more. A multi-element water heater can range from 9 kilowatts to 40 kilowatts or more of 240V AC power.
Another problem with current water heater systems is that in most present day hot water plumbing systems, the water heater is located a considerable distance from the location or locations to which the hot water is to be delivered. As a result, between periods of use, the previously heated water sits in the pipe between the water heater and the delivery spigot for significant periods of time. During this time, the water becomes cold even if the piping is insulated. Because of this, a considerable quantity of water must be drawn off before the discharged water reaches a desired temperature. Additionally, a substantial interval of time is required before the discharged water reaches the desired temperature. Furthermore, the water that is drawn off is flushed down the drain and wasted, significantly increasing the cost of providing hot water.
Another problem with current hot water plumbing systems is that the water in the water heater is stagnant during the intervals between usage. This results in sediment accumulating in the bottom of the water heater. The sediment causes two problems. First, the sediment may cause bacteria or algae to form in the water heater. The bacteria or algae may cause health problems for those who use hot water from the water heater. Secondly, the sediment decreases the heater efficiency and, unless periodically removed, results in clogging of the system and corrosion of the heater.
Wachenheim, U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,830 is one patent that tries to overcome some of the problems discussed above. Unfortunately, Wechenheim has several problems. First, Wachenheim requires the use of a special tungsten heating element. The heating element is not a standard heating element and is difficult to find and expensive to replace. Second, Wachenheim requires the use of a 240 volt outlet and draws over 60 amps. Thus, Wachenheim is not very energy efficient.
Therefore, a need exists to provide an improved water heater system. The improved water heater will provide immediate hot water to the location or locations to which the hot water is to be delivered. The improved water heater will further remove some of the contaminants in the hot water which is delivered to the location or locations to which the hot water is required.